(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to make public streets, public property and other areas readily accessible to the public and to prevent the willful and intentional obstruction of such property which interferes with the rights of others to use such areas for the purposes for which they are intended and to maintain public streets and areas within the city in a clean and accessible condition.
(B) Obstructing entrances. No person, after first being warned by a law enforcement officer, shall loiter or stand in or upon any public highway, street, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk, bridge, plaza, park, driveway, parking lot, or building open to the general public, including those that serve food or drink, provide entertainment, or are engaged in selling products or goods to the public, or the doorways and entrances to such buildings or dwellings or the grounds enclosing them or other public ways open pedestrian travel or otherwise occupy any portion thereof in such manner as to unreasonably obstruct, block, or interfere with the normal use of the entrance to any business establishment, public building, or other facility which is open to the public including, but not limited to, any house of worship hall, theater, or place of public assemblage.
(C) Obstructing pedestrian passage. No person, after first being warned by a law enforcement officer, shall loiter, stand, sit, lie, kneel, or sleep in or upon any public highway, street, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk, bridge, plaza, park, driveway, parking lot, or building open to the general public, including those that serve food or drink, provide entertainment, or are engaged in selling products or goods to the public, or the doorways and entrances to such buildings or dwellings or the grounds enclosing them or other public ways open for pedestrian travel, or any portion thereof, in such a manner as to unreasonably obstruct or interfere with the free passage of any pedestrian.
(D) Exceptions. Provisions of this section shall not apply to any person standing in line or otherwise standing in or upon a sidewalk waiting to conduct business in a business establishment or public facility; nor shall it apply to any person who is selling or giving political or religious literature to other persons; nor shall it apply to any person who is conducting a lawful business or who has a lawful reason for standing in or upon a street or sidewalk; provided however, that such person is complying with all other laws, rules and regulations applicable to waiting to conduct business, distributing political or religious literature, engaging in a strike, or conducting other lawful business. This section shall not apply to any person or persons sitting on the curb portion of any sidewalk or street while attending or viewing any parade lawfully permitted under this code, nor shall it apply to any persons sitting upon benches or other seating facilities provided for such purpose by the city or permitted for any reason by this code.
(E) Vehicle traffic obstruction. No person, after first being warned by a law enforcement officer, shall willfully, intentionally, or maliciously obstruct or hinder any motor vehicle, its operator or any passenger in said vehicle, while the motor vehicle is moving or lawfully stopped or parked upon any public street, highway, or alley or entering or exiting from private or public property on any public street or thoroughfare.
(F) Penalties. Any person who violates any section in this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor which shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by a prison term not exceeding six months, or both. The City Attorney, City Prosecutor, or District Attorney shall have the authority to prosecute any violation of this section as an infraction in the interests of justice. Additionally, the court may determine that the offense is an infraction in which event the case shall proceed as of the defendant has been arraigned on an infraction complaint.
(`78 Code, § 10.56.060.) (Ord. 2619 § 1, 2002: Ord. 1506 § 1 (part), 1978.)